Hillsboro-area golfers Melinee Udom and Madeleine Conser led Oregon to a runner-up finish at the Girls Junior Americas Cup, falling one stroke short of champion Southern California in a three-day tournament at Illahe Hills Country Club in Salem.
Oregon shot a combined 2-over 650 as the host team in the 18-team event, which drew squads from across western North America, including Canada and Mexico, according to OSAAToday. Southern California repeated as champion.
Conser, a Valley Catholic junior committed to the University of Kentucky who has not played high school golf the last two seasons, was Oregon's top scorer at 5-under 211. She shared tournament medalist honors with Gabriella Gu of San Diego. Udom, a Westview junior committed to Brigham Young, tied for fifth individually at 2-over 218.
"That definitely stung coming up one short, but I think it just shows that we're able to get into contention as a team," Udom said. "I think that's real motivating for us next year."
Oregon entered the final round two strokes behind Southern California and had chances to take the title but couldn't capitalize. The team's four players qualified through a points system in Oregon Golf Association major junior tournaments this summer. Cleveland graduate Kate Ly tied for 10th at 221, and Lakeridge sophomore Hannah Wendorf, the reigning 6A state champion, tied for 36th at 234.
Udom caps standout summer
The Americas Cup capped a dominant stretch for Udom. She finished runner-up to Wendorf at the OSAA 6A state tournament in the spring, then rattled off wins in two OGA majors.
She edged Ly by one stroke to win the Oregon Junior Stroke Play at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis from June 17-19, then won the Central Willamette Junior Championship by 13 strokes at 4-under at Arrowhead Golf Club in Molalla on July 13-14.
Between those victories, Udom tied for sixth at the Junior World Golf Championships, shooting 3-under 213 from July 6-9 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California. Two years earlier, she had held a first-round lead at the same course. Udom said she wanted to beat her score from that earlier trip, and she did.
Looking ahead
Three of Oregon's four players can return for the 2027 Girls Junior Americas Cup in San Diego. Only Ly, who is headed to Oregon State, ages out. Conser, Udom and Wendorf are all eligible to earn spots through the OGA points system again next summer.
